Today X, FKA Twitter, informed me that July 8 is National Video Game Day!
I thought it would be fun to talk about the few video games I have played through and loved and maybe a few I did not. I’ve been carrying around this shirt I thrifted for nearly a decade that says “FEMALE GAMER” on it as a joke. When I wore it in front of my now boyfriend as a JOKE, he let me know that I would no longer ironically wear the shirt and he would find me a game that I liked to play. Which leads me into the first video game obsession I had.
Friday the 13th
I’m into scary movies already and this series is probably my favorite slasher franchise, so this game came of great interest to me. It’s a live game, where you are randomly selected to play as a camp counselor or as Jason himself. Different camp counselors have different strengths and weaknesses and that can really change your gameplay.
At first, I was a very timid player and often played more of a quiet role. This doesn’t mean I was not actively trying to help myself and my fellow counselors out – I was just trying to fully avoid coming into contact with Jason. I would sneak around the map trying to put together the phone to call the police or use the radio to call for Tommy Jarvis. If I could do so quietly, I’d search for the parts to the car or boat to repair them and skeedaddle off the map quickly. Now that I am familiar with the sounds and controls in the game, I’m much more confident coming into contact with Jason. Also – for eagle eyed fans of the movies, each map is incredibly accurate to a movie in the series!
I would play this for hours and had a really fun time interacting with people playing the game with me. It was the perfect introduction into the world of video games.
Buy it here.
Animal Crossing
Previously, I had played Animal Crossing pretty religiously on a Nintendo Switch but it started to feel like a chore. As pandemic restrictions faded, so too did my passion for my island and this game.
Can you beat Animal Crossing? I’m sure that fkn raccoon can think of things to charge you for, forever. If you can beat it, I did not. I did enjoy collecting things for my museum though...
Buy it here.
Super Smash Bros
Another Nintendo Switch game I played and did not enjoy very much. While the Ninten-dogs set is my favorite to play on with Zelda or the Wii Fit Instructor, I really cannot play this game for more than 3 rounds. There are too many flashing lights and distractions that make it incredibly difficult for me to identify my character on the screen and her actions.
I’ve definitely improved my skills within this game but I pretty much only play this in a party environment.
Buy it here.
Help Wanted
I have purchased this Wii game twice after losing a copy to an ex. This is outside of my preferred art style but this game is SO fun and uses the art style to its benefit. Help Wanted has over 50 “jobs” that act as mini-games to serve the larger plot.
Various items try to attack the planet, and it’s on you as the player to save the day. Work the odd jobs, save money and purchase wacky ways to destroy or delay the objects in space. The jobs are diverse and require different skills, which makes it fun to play in a group environment. I have beaten this game twice. The story is fun and the variety of jobs make it easy to play a very different game each time.
Buy it here.
Stray
This was my first story-based game I played through on the PS4. I’ll be real, the only reason I wanted to play was because I wanted to knock things down as a cat. But I found a lot of reasons to enjoy playing this game! There is a bit of a mystery element as you collect clues to figure out where to go, who to talk to and why the world is so dark and sad.
There wasn’t a huge shooting emphasis, which I prefer, but you did have to scamper around and occasionally outrun your enemies. I loved the story, I loved that I was a cat and this really set the bar high for any future games I’d play.
Buy it here.
The Last of Us
Once I finished Stray, I wanted to take some time to watch The Last of Us on HBO Max but was told that the video game was much better and to give it a shot. It took me a while to get into since the story was so different from Stray, but I ended up really loving the game! This was where I was really introduced to the concept of “looting” and had to get much better at shooting.
The story is unmatched – so emotional and high paced, while the animation is beautiful. After finally getting into the story and understanding the controls, I played through it in just a few days!
Buy it here.
The Last of Us Part II
I had to take a breather in between the two games since I was playing in pretty large chunks for days at a time. But starting the game as a different character (not knowing the twist to come) was really fun and the story really caught me off-guard, in a good way. Again, such an emotional story but it draws you in and makes you feel the complexity of the characters.
I really loved hanging out at the aquarium and think that might be one of the most beautiful areas of a video game I’ve explored. When I beat this game, I started to feel like a real gamer (lol).
Buy it here.
Red Dead Redemption
The gamers in the chat are not going to like this, but I could not finish this game. The story was not engaging and I found it difficult to transition from three games in a row with a very defined storyline, that can only be played through in one way, to this open world.
I liked how interactive the NPCs were and the side stories, along with the warrants issued for crimes committed in game. I also really enjoyed the bar games. The animals are pretty and I liked collecting things but I just couldn’t get into it. I made it into Mexico and then took a break – I haven’t thought about it much since then.
Buy it here.
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
I wasn’t sure how I would like this game after not liking Red Dead but this series is SO FUN. Much more than a female Indiana Jones, Lara Croft is the daughter of an adventurer on an expedition to a Japanese island, where things start to go wrong. The history element really drew me in and hunting for geo-caches, documents and artifacts made me realize why some people strive to finish 100% of the game.
Even though you are stuck on the island, there were a few different “worlds” that you transitioned through as the story progressed. History, intrigue, emotional connection, betrayal, mystery and badass outfits, all of these added up to be why I loved this game. While the end was a lot of shooting at seemingly endless enemies, it added a difficulty where I felt really proud to have finished the game on my own! Outside of the shooting, I love that there are other skills like dodging, sneak attacks, special arrows to spice up the game play.
Buy it here.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
As much as I loved the first Tomb Raider, it was a dark game making it only playable at night time. Meanwhile, this game takes place in snowy Siberia which makes it super easy to see and play through the day! In this story, Lara is seeking answers to eternal life questions posed by her late father. There is even more betrayal in this story and a few surprising twists along the way.
I really like that these games play into a magical/mystical element alongside the history, it makes the gameplay really engaging and keeps me on my toes in terms of what to expect. I just beat this game last week and was playing through some of the DLC content it came with before taking on my next game: Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.
Buy it here.
Honorary Mentions:
Super Mario Bros
I’m currently playing through this on the Wii and wow. While the game is still challenging, it is much easier when you are no longer 10 years old and arguing with your sibling over who should be player 1.
Buy it here.
Endless Ocean
Another Wii game, this one was made to be played before bed. A relaxing scuba diving game where you take people on dives to see specific fish (& more!) and discover new coves. Low stakes, good score and very chill.
Buy it here.
Red Dead Redemption 2
In Red Dead 2 you can have a dog, which is almost reason enough to just start with RD2. I’ve played the bar games and ridden around a little, the graphics are impressive but I’m still not into the story.
Buy it here.
Bully
I just started this game a few weeks ago but it’s kind of fun. Run around, avoid being bullied, bully others and don’t get caught. Seems pretty low stakes but I haven’t gotten too far into it.
Buy it here.
What are you playing? Do you have any game recommendations? Let me know below.
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